The embattled director general said that many of the issues which had arisen from Portlaoise were not just about the levels of clinic care at the hospital but “about the human and compassionate care that was or was not provided.”

“It is important, starting in the maternity unit in Portlaoise, and then the wider hospital and other maternity hospitals, that we have a thorough on going review of the issues that contributed to what appears to be a significant lack of compassion,” he said.

“What we do about it… [is to see] whether there is anyone in the service who shouldn’t be there.”

Speaking to RTE radio, Mr O’Brien’s comments come following a damning report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) into practices at Portlaoise Hospital, where a number of babies died in controversial circumstances.